"We have very difficult financial situations in South Australia. Is this prudent management of our funds when you've got that much money stored away in an art gallery and not being shown to the community at all?" he said.

"I'd like to see the Government use some of this stored art in public places so people get a benefit out of it.

All of the works the Art Gallery gets are through donation or through subscription processes where people give money to the Art Gallery to obtain works

John Hill

"They should be exploring whether or not they can lease some of this art out to the corporate sector and get a return on the investment and they certainly shouldn't be spending money buying new art for a Royal Adelaide Hospital that's going to cost us $1 million a day."

SA Arts Minister John Hill says most artworks have been paid for by private donors, not taxpayers.

"All of the works the Art Gallery gets are through donation or through subscription processes where people give money to the Art Gallery to obtain works," he said.

"We don't as a Government fund them for acquisition. We fund them for services and to put programs on for the public.

"I think it's outrageous to suggest that we should get rid of them. These are valuable parts of our history. It helps tell our story. Just as the Museum collects rocks and artefacts from geological time, the Art Gallery collects cultural artefacts."